Seventh loss Taylor-made

The Quakers’ seventh game wasn’t so lucky for Penn.

In Saturday night’s 80-75 loss to Monmouth in West Long Branch, N.J., the team was once again haunted by an inability to defend against penetrating guards, a disparity in free throw shooting, and a knack for poor shot selection down the stretch.

Monmouth (3-7) had its way with the Quakers defense early in the night by getting into the paint, generating high percentage shots, and putting up 27 points in the first 7:32 of gameplay. Behind the strength of nine consecutive field goals to start the game, the Hawks stormed ahead to a 10-point lead over Penn (0-7).

“Start out the game, move the ball, and make your first nine shots,” Monmouth coach Dave Calloway joked. “That’s our plan every game. But it’s the first time our guys have listened to it.”

Driving Monmouth guards continued to find their big men cutting through the paint for open, uncontested looks at the basket. Monmouth converted on five layups and three dunks in its initial offensive outburst. Sophomore forward Travis Taylor led the charge on 4-for-4 shooting en route to a game-high 28 points.

“They were operating on all cylinders offensively in the first half,” Penn coach Glen Miller said. “And they were certainly controlling us defensively.”

Monmouth dictated play down low, as the Penn bigs were routinely out of position in the first frame Though they had scored 18 points in the paint by halftime, the Hawks ability to get to the foul line was the difference.

At the break, Monmouth was 16 for 21 from the charity stripe. Penn was a mere 0 for 2.

The Hawks, who entered the game averaging 67.6 points per game, put up 50 before heading into the locker room.

The Penn offense was once again led by Zack Rosen, wearing Tyler Bernardini’s #4 due to what Miller called “a little mishap with the #1 jersey in his travel bag,” Rosen shot 5-for-8 from behind the arc on his way to 23 points, adding six assists and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

But despite shooting 58 percent from the field, the Quakers found themselves trailing by nine at the half.

Searching for an answer to the Monmouth attack, the Quakers came out of the break showing a zone defense for the first time all season.

“I think it took them out of their rhythm a little bit,” Miller said. “It allowed us to get back into the game.”

And the Quakers slowly reeled the Hawks in. After two threes from Rosen and another from Dan Monckton on three straight possessions, a Jack Eggleston dunk in transition capped an 11-2 run that brought the Quakers within one with 10:53 left.

But with 1:42 to play in a 73-73 tie, Monmouth’s James Hett found senior guard Whitney Coleman wide open on the right side for a go-ahead three.

“We gave up middle penetration,” Miller said. “We helped in too far, and they hit a three. And that was the game right there.”

With 44 seconds to play and the shot clock running low, Mike Howlett had a chance to cut the lead to one. He drove to the basket drawing contact, but a non-call allowed the Hawks to recover the ball and ice the game from the foul line.

“The refs are always right. So you got to take it for what it’s worth, and go on to the next play,” Howlett said of the call.

With the loss, the Quakers sit at 0-7 and will need to pick up the pieces before heading to North Carolina to take on Davidson and Duke over the break. But if the matchup against Monmouth is any indication of the state of this team, it is clear that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.

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